anything, not on this secluded stretch of road, part of the reason the little neighborhood at its end proved so popular with shifter families.
What to do? It occurred to her that other guests were expected, so perhaps if she started walking, one would happen to come along and give her a lift. Never mind the fact she ran late and was probably the last guest to arrive. Surely fate wouldn’t let her miss her BFF’s big moment?
Grabbing the present with its big yellow bow, Francine began walking in heels meant to look pretty and elongate her short legs. They lasted five minutes. The third time she stumbled in the gravel, she ripped them off her feet and threw them in the woods. Five minutes after that, she regretted her haste as the rough pavement underfoot didn’t exactly scream comfort.
Fifteen minutes into her walk, hot, annoyed, and her feet dirty, she plopped herself on top her present in the middle of the road, determined to wait for a vehicle even if it took all day. The box, of course, dented under her weight and she jumped off it with another curse.
The attempt to straighten out the box ended up with it looking even more lopsided and she restrained an urge to kick it. Thankfully, luck finally came her way before she gave in to an urge to go psychotic on the gift. A rumble in the distance had her peering up the road. Waiting for fate to drop the other shoe, she didn’t move as the sound approached. But it didn’t start to rain, and the vehicle didn’t do a sudden u-turn to head in the other direction. She perked up when she noted the motorcycle coasting to a stop in front of her, then sighed. While guys who rode bikes were hot in her book, and any other time she would have jumped on the chance for a ride, unfortunately, given the mangled present she still needed to bring, he just wouldn’t do.
Clad in leather, the rider wore a shorty helmet along with a pair of aviator sunglasses that reflected her own image back. A bandanna covered his lower mouth and jaw, a protection against eating stray bugs that effectively rendered him featureless.
He cocked his head at her. “Need a ride?” he shouted, his mirth at her situation evident even over the engine noise.
She took a second to admire the size of him; tall, wide, and sexy in his riding gear. But, she was already spoken for. Kind of. Mitchell would eventually come to his senses and realize they were meant for each other. Hopefully before all the eggs in her ovaries expired.
“Thanks, but I don’t want to leave the present behind. I’m going to a baby shower.”
“What a coincidence, so am I. The present’s not a problem. I’ve got great balance. I’ll hold it if you hold onto me.”
Another guest for Naomi’s party, which meant he was a shifter, just like her. The smell of exhaust made her unable to sniff what species he belonged to. Not that it mattered-she already had a man, sort of, once he stopped acting like a stubborn ass.
Unsure of how her rescuer would manage to drive and hold onto the gift at the same time, she hesitated, however, not spotting any other signs of life, she didn’t really have a choice. It seemed like his offer was the only way she’d get to the party fashionably late.
“Fine, I accept. But if you drop it, I’ll have to hurt you,” she warned.
“Promise?” This time, she definitely couldn’t mistake the humor.
“Pig.” She didn’t say it with heat, though, and he laughed, a rumbly sound that tickled over her and made her inner wolf wake with a start to peer with interest at the stranger.
Strolling over to his bike while holding the gift, she let him take the package from her then eyed the small wedge of seat behind him.
“Are you sure I’ll fit?” She owned panties with more crotch room than that thing.
“Just hold on tight, baby, and I’ll do the rest.”
His words sent a blush to her cheeks, especially since he said them in a sultry tone that rendered his meaning quite clear. She just wished she could see his face to see if he joked or not. At five-foot-two and packing some curves, she wasn’t the type to have guys hit on her out of the blue, not until they’d had a few beers anyways.
Bracing one hand on his shoulder, she managed to swing one leg over to plop herself on the sliver of seat, wedging it between her thighs. Its pressing hardness along with the vibrating thrum of the engine between her legs made for some interesting sensations.
The driver’s free hand grasped hers and pulled it around his torso, tugging her into his body. “Hold me tight, baby, and I’ll take us where we need to go.”
Screw the shower, going to heaven came to mind as her body reacted to his proximity. Wrapping her arms around him, she fought an urge to let her hands stroke up and down his chest. Even clad in leather, she could tell he owned a hard, muscled physique. Words, for once, failed her, which would have cracked her BFF up. But what shocked Francine most was her wolf’s reaction. Her inner canine wanted to sniff the stranger up and down and follow it up with a lick. Usually that type of reaction only happened when she thought of Mitchell.
“Ready?” he prompted.
Nodding, she held on for dear life as he gunned the bike and they shot off, his one arm held out holding the gift while the other did the rest. It occurred to Francine to wonder how he intended to drive one handed, but he seemed to be managing fine, so she decided to keep her mouth shut lest she distract him. Besides, she preferred to concentrate on how she felt plastered against him. A small part of her winced that she cheated of a sort on Mitchell, the man who wouldn’t claim her even though she knew he was her fated mate. But another part of her, the same part that made her give Tommy Keller her virginity at her grade twelve prom out of spite, wanted her to squeeze closer and drop her hands to see if his thighs felt as muscled as they looked.
However her days of sleeping around to quell her irritation and heartache were things of the past now. She’d turned over a new leaf. As of nine months ago, she no longer did that. No sirree, once she saw Naomi, the biggest bitch she knew-God, she loved that girl-find her mates-the skank lucked out and got two-she just knew her time was about to come. She didn’t want the scent of another man clinging to her when it did. Although, she wouldn’t have minded seeing a jealous Mitchell. Actually, just seeing Mitchell, who avoided her like she suffered from the plague since they were kids, would have proven an improvement. Currently, the only thing she ever saw of Mitchell was his ass as it went flying out the door to escape her. The chicken.
It hadn’t always been that way. He tolerated her well enough as his kid sister’s best friend, but that all changed when they got to their teens. She’d kept waiting for him to make his move. He didn’t, so she had, sometimes with a little too much enthusiasm and force. He rebuffed her, over and over. She’d grown to hate his oft repeated, “But I think of you as a sister.” Jerk, like his sister ever tried to give him tongue.
So, despite how wet Mr. Hot-In-Leather made her, she wouldn’t do anything about it, because she just knew if Mitchell would let himself stay in a room with her for longer than thirty seconds, he’d finally realize she’d grown up. And then he’d claim her so they could live happily ever after, before she went postal and killed his furry ass.
Mitchell kept peering out the bay window. He thought he’d managed to do so unobtrusively until the cuff that caught him upside of the head.
Turning, he glared at his very pregnant baby sister who smirked at him. “Aww, aren’t you so cute acting all eager-beaver like. Don’t worry, big brother. Francine will be here soon.”
“What makes you think I’m watching for her?” It annoyed him that his sister knew whom he searched for, but for the wrong reason. Yes, he kept an eye out for Francine, but only because he needed a head-start to escape.
“Oh, please. You do this every time you know she’s coming over. Hell, the last time, you almost took Mom out in your hurry to dive out the back door. Talk about pathetic. Just give in already. The whole family knows you two are meant for each other. So stop acting like such a pussy. Why not act like the dog you are and claim her?”
